Cape Verde held Spain to a surprising 0-0 draw in their World Cup debut
We can therefore forget the idea that an expanded World Cup would dilute the quality of the biggest football tournament.
The small Cape Verde team, making its World Cup debut, caused an upset by holding Spain, the overwhelming favorite, to a 0-0 draw on Monday.
This means everything to our country,” said Cape Verde coach Pedro Leitão Brito. “We have always said that we wanted everyone to see our country, our team, and we have shown organization and courage. This is proof of what characterizes our country: resilience and the will to overcome difficulties.”
Spain, the European champions, were among the favorites to win the tournament and were predicted to have a -1200 chance of beating Cape Verde. But they couldn't find a way past a 40-year-old goalkeeper and a tenacious defense that thwarted every attack from the Spanish superstars.
Even the sensational teenager Lamine Yamal, who came on in the second half, could not turn the tide in a match that ended with wild and emotional celebrations in the stadium.
“A dream,” is how Cape Verdean defender Steven Moreira described the moment.
Veteran goalkeeper Vozinha broke down in tears after the final whistle, having delivered an impressive performance to keep Spain at bay.
He was named man of the match, making a series of saves at the end of the first half to repel attempts from Ferran Torres, Pedri and Aymeric Laporte.
Spain almost opened the scoring when Torres hit the crossbar shortly before half-time.
"We should have won today's game, considering everything that happened and all the opportunities we created, but we lacked freshness and precision," said Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente, who had warned before the game that Cape Verde could be one of the surprise teams of the World Cup.
Spain almost suffered an even more crushing defeat when Diney Borges had a chance to score late in the game, but his header was saved by Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon.
Cape Verde thus joins Cameroon, Senegal and Saudi Arabia on the list of teams that have caused an upset against football giants during the World Cup.
Cameroon beat defending champions Argentina in 1990, and Senegal beat defending champions France in 2002. Four years ago, Saudi Arabia defeated Lionel Messi's Argentina, who went on to win the tournament in Qatar.
Cape Verde did not win, but their performance silenced some critics who said that expanding the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams would weaken the tournament.
This archipelago off the west coast of Africa covers approximately 4,000 square kilometers and has a population of around half a million, making Cape Verde the third smallest nation by population to qualify for the World Cup. And even against a very strong Spanish team, Cape Verde proved its worth on football's biggest stage.
Although the majority of the 67,640 spectators at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium appeared to be Spanish supporters, it was the Cape Verdean fans who cheered on their team the loudest. They continued their celebrations after the final whistle, singing and dancing in the corridors.
“We are all happy because we have worked hard to get here. We deserve to be here,” said Vozinha.
Spain, champions in 2010, are aiming for a second World Cup title and enter the tournament fresh off their Euro 2024 victory. However, their disappointing start to the tournament mirrors their performances in recent World Cups. Spain have failed to progress beyond the round of 16 in the last three editions.
“What doubts do you think my team will suffer from? None,” said De la Fuente. “We know how difficult this competition is. The idea we must follow is the one that got us here and made us European champions.”
Spain will face Saudi Arabia on Sunday and Cape Verde will face Uruguay.
